On this episode of the Automatic Patient Podcast, Jordon Comstock and Dr. Dan Nelson discussed the five barriers to success in dental practice ownership: arrogance, ignorance, ambivalence, fear, and capacity. Dr. Nelson, who has a psychology background, explained how these barriers manifest in practice owners and shared real-world examples from his consulting work. The discussion covered how arrogance often stems from overconfidence in areas outside one's expertise, ignorance can be combated through mentorship and education, ambivalence is a choice that leads to misalignment and potential burnout, fear of change can prevent practices from evolving, and capacity involves both bandwidth and actual abilities. The conversation highlighted the importance of self-assessment, finding the right mentors, and understanding alignment in overcoming these barriers to achieve greater success in dental practice management.
In this episode, Jordon Comstock and the Elevation Association team dive deep into the psychology behind why some dental practices grow — while others slowly plateau, burn out, or decline over time.
The conversation starts around dental practice valuations and EBITDA, but quickly evolves into a powerful discussion around mindset, leadership, fear, burnout, mentorship, PPO dependence, and the internal barriers that stop practice owners from reaching their full potential.
The team introduces what they call the “5 Barriers to Success”:
They unpack how these barriers quietly affect practice growth, leadership decisions, innovation, profitability, and long-term practice value.
Jordon shares real stories from his experience in dentistry — including watching thriving practices slowly decline over time because owners became burned out, resistant to change, or afraid to evolve with the industry.
The episode also explores:
One of the most powerful moments comes when Jordon discusses a doctor terrified to drop PPOs because he feared his entire business would collapse — and how the answer wasn’t drastic action, but small, strategic steps toward recurring revenue and independence.